This National Poetry Month, I celebrate the life, the legacy, and the luminous spirit of my mother, the late St. Louis Poet Laureate Emeritus Shirley Bradley Price LeFlore A poet, performer, educator, and psychologist, she was a force of nature—prolific, profound, and unwavering in her commitment to the power of words and their connection to the human spirit.
My mother understood that poetry was more than language; it was movement, breath, history, and revolution. She didn’t just write—she embodied her work, standing on stages across the world, giving voice to the unheard, and illuminating the stories of Black women, families, communities, and generations. She was both griot and guide, weaving wisdom with rhythm, truth with transcendence.
As an educator and psychologist, she nurtured minds and spirits, always teaching, always lifting. She knew that words could heal, that poetry could be a balm for the soul, a bridge between struggle and strength. She lived this belief, pouring herself into her work, mentoring young poets, and reminding us all that our voices have power, that our stories matter.
Today and this entire month, I honor not only her, but the many word warriors, the poets who shape our world, challenge our minds, and move our hearts. My mother’s legacy is one of love, resilience, and boundless creativity. She stood in the lineage of those who came before her and paved the way for those who will follow.
So this National Poetry Month, I say her name with pride: Shirley Bradley Price LeFlore. May her words continue to resonate, her spirit continue to inspire, and her legacy continue to shine.
I love you mama!
Let a Poet Blk Sing
(an excerpt)
when a poet blk sings
they don’t trip off the fantasy – but create real creations
w / new images — refresh drybones rising
scream like a bird on a fence
(don’t cha kill em)
they soul be wired to electrify, sanctify
and speak to you in a new tongue older than age
let a poet blk sing
they be the life searchers
the earth scratchers
w / the blood of strange fruit under their fingers
they itch and itch to get rid of the bitch
that won’t let they people go
lifting their pen & voice
they bring yesterdaze into today and redefine tomorrow
they be the heartbeat of their ancestors
firespitters who split lies and let truth be
(they be the revelators of time)
let a poet blk sing
a planted by the water song
that shall not be moved
but moves to reach — to touch — to get to you
they want to lay your burden down
teach you to study wars and rumors of wars
until there be no more wars
let a poet blk sing
This excerpt of “Let a Poet Blk Sing” is from Brassbones & Rainbows (2013) by Shirley Bradley LeFlore.
